


I'm at a Loss Because of Tragedy

by chemically_yours



Series: F.T.W.W.W. [7]
Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: A.I. Tony, Getting Together, Hydra Steve Rogers, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:27:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24466441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chemically_yours/pseuds/chemically_yours
Summary: AI!Tony and Hydra!Cap have gotten away. Now it's time for Steve and Tony to have a talk apart their evil counterparts.Part of an AU where Evil AI!Tony breaks Hydra!Cap out of jail in order to take over the world together.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: F.T.W.W.W. [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750093
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	I'm at a Loss Because of Tragedy

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again for all the comments and kudos on this series. You guys have really inspired me to get back into this fandom and clear out some more of my old WIPs. Not sure if I'll finish any of them any time soon, but its good to be able to spend my nights writing again.

I’m At A Loss Because of Tragedy

The Quinjet was dead silent despite being filled to capacity with superheroes. It seemed no one quite knew what to say after what they’d just witnessed. Steve kept waiting for the shoe to drop, for someone to say something, but instead the tension just sat heavy and oppressive over all of them. He let out a world-weary sigh and glanced to the cockpit where Iron man was at the wheel. Tony had barely looked at Steve since they’d gotten that video from Steve’s counterpart a month ago. Steve couldn’t really blame him. He wondered how much worse it would get between them after this.

It had taken time, but they’d finally managed to narrow down the Hydra activity to the Rockies. Steve had been tempted to go it alone, but he wasn’t stupid enough to think he’d be able to handle a twisted version of himself as well as a twisted Tony solo. Especially, if he brought the real Tony with him; they were barely functioning around each other. They’d assembled a team of whoever was available, whichever Avengers felt like coming along. Everything had gone well. Too well. They’d stormed the base, taking out Hydra goons left and right. And then there he’d been: the other him. They fought hard, the rematch Steve had hoped he’d never have to fight. But it was all just a distraction. The other Tony had been nowhere in sight, and then Steve had taken a repulsor hit to the back and the other Tony, the AI made real, was there grabbing Steve’s evil counterpart and flying off. There had been a machine, the other Tony apologizing for the “change of plans”, and a flash of blinding light. And then there had been the real Tony, frantic at the keyboard, shouting about the multiverse.

They’d lost them. Tony had managed to piece together that his counterpart had built a machine to hop across the multiverse. He’d used Reed’s old tech to view different planes of existence until he’d found one that was ripe for world domination. Steve knew his own counterpart wouldn’t give up on this world, what he perceived to be his, but it sure would be a hell of a lot easier to conquer with entire other Earth’s worth of an army fighting on Hydra’s side.

The jet landing disrupted Steve’s thoughts. He went through the motions of disembarking and debriefing. It was nearly as awkward as the flight home had been.

It was much later, as Steve was trying to work up the courage to leave his room, that Tony came knocking on his door. Steve shut the door behind his best friend and stood in silence staring at his feet, Tony mirroring him. They broke the silence at the same time.

“Look, Tony-“

“Steve, I-“

“I’m sorry,” they said at the exact same time. It was silent again as they gaped at one another. Tony was first to speak again.

“Steve, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault. I wasn’t able to stop them jumping through that portal today. Hell, the fact that they even had a portal is because an AI modeled after my brain decided to be evil. So really, this is all on me.”

“That’s not true! That other Rogers, he’s the mastermind behind all of this. And the AI, well clearly he’s done something to corrupt him. Whatever he did, whatever he is, it came from me. So, you really shouldn’t blame yourself.”

It all made sense now; why Tony hadn't been able to look at him this past month. He'd been too busy simmering in guilt. Well, that was going to end now. Steve wanted to place his hands on Tony's shoulders and will him to believe that this was all Steve's fault. But that kind of contact would likely make Tony uncomfortable now. Instead, Steve settled for taking a step closer. 

“Steve, that warped cosmic cube clone is nothing like you. He’s a good actor, but you could never be anything like him.”

“Then you couldn’t either.”

Tony shook his head sadly.

“I can’t say the same. That AI was literally an exact copy of me. Really, I’m the one that has to apologize for all this. I’m the one with the capacity for evil given the right motivation. I mean, this isn’t even the first time.”

“But clearly he’s being coerced. You saw the same video I did, Tony. You can’t possibly tell me that you would do…that…if you weren’t forced into it.”

It had to be coercion. As much as it twisted his stomach, it was the only answer Steve had been willing to accept. 

“That’s exactly my point. The real you wouldn’t ever want to do that.”

“You wouldn’t either!”

“Yes, I would!”

Steve felt as though he’d just been slapped.

“Tony?”

Tony had that grim, determined set to his face that meant he didn’t like what he was doing, but by God he would do it for the greater good. His voice only shook a little when he spoke.

“Yes, I would. I’ve thought about you like that countless times. Your evil twin wouldn’t have had to force me. So, yes, I’m the one to blame for this whole situation, and I’m so sorry.”

It wasn’t often that Steve found himself struck speechless. He’d always looked at Tony and thought ‘maybe,’ But Tony had never said anything, and surely after so many years there would have been more to go on than his gut feeling and own useless fantasies. Steve ached as Tony’s expression closed off and he started to pull away. Steve didn’t want that though. Without thinking, he reached up to cup Tony’s face and-

Tony’s lips were dry and a touch softer than he had been expecting. He kept himself there for several long seconds as they breathed through the kiss together. Tony’s eyes were glistening when he stepped back.

“I’ve thought of you too.”

“Steve, I-“

“It seems to me that we’ve both been doing a lot of thinking. Maybe we should stop thinking and do something about it.”

Tony closed his eyes and nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. What did you have in mind?”

Steve leaned down to press kisses along Tony’s jaw, straight back to his ear. He nibbled briefly at the lobe then pulled back far enough to whisper.

“I figure I have about a decade of tension to make up for. I think that starts with you naked in my bed.”

Tony laughed and turned his head for another kiss.

“Will you be naked in this bed with me?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay then, Soldier. Show me what you’ve got.”

There wasn’t much talking after that. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, the way they just seemed to know exactly what to do with each other, but somehow Steve hadn’t been expecting the easy way Tony opened up to fit them together like jigsaw pieces. After so many years so close, hovering on the edge of this thing between them, Steve didn’t need Tony’s moans or gasps to tell him how to move. And then, after, they rolled over and slotted perfectly together as their heartbeats calmed down. It was as if they’d been made just for this, Steve reflected. In the back of his mind, the thought they might not have ever gotten to this point if it hadn’t been for Rogers burned like a hot iron.

“Shh.” Tony rubbed a finger gently across his brow. “Stop whatever you’re thinking. Think it later. Enjoy the afterglow now.”

Steve pressed a kiss to Tony’s crown. Later, he thought. Later, he would talk with Tony about what this all meant. Later, he would worry about what havoc their counterparts were unleashing on the multiverse. Later, they would stop them.

But for now, Steve would listen to Tony.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the last fic I have written for this series. I felt at the time that it was a good stopping point because having Hydra!Cap disappear into the multiverse while our heroes pledge to fight him when he returns seems exactly like the type of thing that would happen in the comics. That being said, I have not ruled out the possibility of writing more if inspiration strikes me. But for now, the series is complete while I work on some other fics clogging up my folder. 
> 
> Find me on social:  
> Tumblr: chemically_yours.tumblr.com  
> Twitter: twitter.com/ChemicallyYour1


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